One Cebu Island Sinulog sa kabataan: Carcar City rules

CEBU, Philippines — It’s Carcar City when it comes to the stage, and it’s Lumad Basakanon when it comes to the streets.

The two contingents dominated the ritual showdown and street dancing categories, respectively, of the One Cebu Island Sinulog sa Kabataan yesterday at the Cebu City Sports Center.

Carcar City pocketed P500,000 for being the best in ritual showdown, followed by Barangay Tejero, Cebu City (2nd, P400,000); Tribu Cebu Tech of Moalboal LGU (3rd, P300,000); Lumad Basakanon (4th, P200,000); and Banay Labangon of Cebu City (5th, P150,000).

Carcar also won P50,000 for best in costume and another P50,000 for best in musicality.

The other winners for best in musicality were: Lumad Basakanon (2nd, P40,000), Barangay Tejero (3rd, P30,000), Tribu Cebu Tech (4th, P20,000), and Banay Labangon (5th, P10,000).

Lumad Basakanon, meanwhile, lorded the street dancing event, bringing home P100,000 in prize. Barangay Tejero (2nd, P50,000) and Carcar City (3rd, P20,000) completed the top three.

Winning Theme

For this year, Carcar City’s theme revolved around poverty caused by the protracted COVID-19 pandemic, as well as a prayer for healing from the physical and economic effects of the virus.

The concepts of healing and thanksgiving were eminent in Carcar’s performance, especially since its head choreographer, Kathryn Estenzo, was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer during the start of the pandemic and who is now a survivor.

Estenzo said that even as she was undergoing treatment, her assistants made everything light for her.

“I call them my angels,” she said.

Interestingly, Carcar also emerged as the champion in the Pasigarbo sa Sugbo showdown last year in a number that was also choreographed by Estenzo.

But what made this Sinulog performance a tad more challenging was the contingent used a theme and a set of dancers and performers different from those of Pasigarbo.

Assistant choreographer “Patty” explained that the financial and livelihood loss suffered by the people because of the pandemic and the appeal for ayuda or help are something the audience can relate to.

Hoping to keep the support of their fans and supporters, Carcar City’s choreographers said there may be some modifications in their performance to be shown when they hit the stage again during the Sinulog Festival Grand Parade ritual show come Sunday.

Traditionally, there were two versions of the Sinulog sa Kabataan – one called “Dakbayan” or intended for participants from Cebu City and another called “Lalawigan” which was intended for those from Cebu province.

It’s called One Cebu Island this year because participating contingents from both Cebu City and Cebu province vied for the top plum in just one contest.

The Sinulog sa Kabataan this year was joined in by 14 contingents. Other participants were Poblacion Pardo, Mabini, San Roque, Mabolo, Binaliw, Tisa, Guadalupe, and San Nicolas Proper, with Lapu-Lapu City as a guest contingent. – JMD (FREEMAN)